Card index file



July 6, 1937., B. ejRANp 2,086,047

CARD INDEX FILE Filed July 30, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 6, 1937. B. GLI'RAND CARD INDEX FILE Filed July 50,1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2" IN VEN TOR July 6, 1937. I B. G. RAND 7 2,086,047 q CARD INDEX FILE Filed July 30, 1932 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patentecl July 6, 1937 Y UNHTED STATES earsnr mm CARD INDEX FILE Benjamin G. Rand, North Tonawanda, N. Y., assignor to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo,

Application July 30, 1932, Serial No. 626,697

15 Claims. (Cl. 129-16) Another object of the invention is to provide an extensible filing tray for cooperation with an extensible series of connected record members whereby the record members are automatically exposed in ofiset overlapping relation when the tray is extended.

In one embodiment of the invention a series of relatively slidable interconnected tray sections are mounted in a filing casing or cabinet in which one of the tray sections is slidably guided. These sections are collapsible into the casing. Cards or record members in series form are extensibly connected together, either detachably or permanently, and the opposite extremities of the card series are connected to the corresponding opposite extremities of the series of tray sections. Thus when the tray sections are withdrawn from the casing and extended the series of record members is also extended. These record members are normally in an upright position inside the casing and they are so connected and arranged that the operation of extending them, incidental to the withdrawal of the tray sections from the casing, causes them to tilt forwardly and to lie substantially horizontal, in which position their marginal edges are visible in offset overlapping relation. A closure for the casing is provided upon one of the end tray sections which assists in maintaining the record members in the latter substantially horizontal position.

Therefore, a relatively extensive series of index data carrying cards is visible while the file is in use, and in its closed position the cards and tray sections occupy a relatively small space.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a cross-section of a filing casing having a collapsible filing tray attached thereto in extended position.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a file casing having a collapsible filing tray shown in retracted position therein.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-section, on a larger scale, taken substantially along the line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-section taken substantially along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3, and having filing trays added.

'35 and bottom plate 2.8.

stitute retaining guides or guidewaysfora col 55 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section, on a larger scale, taken substantially along the line VV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a collapsible record member supporting tray.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective of telescoping portions of the collapsible tray.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective of record members mounted upon the collapsible tray. 7

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary. perspective of record 10 record member holders of the type shown in $15 Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a perspective similar to Fig. 8 and illustrating another form of record member;

holders.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view, on a larger scale,-

showing in detail the structure Fig. 11. V I

Fig. 13 is a, fragmentary perspective ;of another form of the invention in which reinforcing included in I and guiding wires are added to the structure shown in Fig. 11; and V Fig. 14 is a cross-section of a collapsible tray" having record member supports therein of the" type shown in Fig. 13.

Referring to Figs. 1 to '7, a filing case or cabinet 29 is provided which is composed of relatively thin material and has angular beads 22 and 23 extending about the inner front edges of I the casing top and sides, respectively. An inwardly offset shoulder 25 extends along the, up- 35 1 per bead 22 and is disposed in opposed relation to a similar shoulder 26 formed across the lower front bead portion of the casing and which is included in a bottom plate 28 having its rear:

edge secured beneath an offset portion 29 of a 40 wall 30 forming the rear of the casing, The top and rear of the casing are overlappedand secured as indicated at 32. The bottom plate 28 has flanges 33 along its marginal portions to facilitate rigid connection to the walls of the casing. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 5 each side wall is provided with an additionalwall section 35 which rests upon the bottom plate 28. Op-

1 positely disposed guidingstrips 36 having upper inwardly turned flanges 31, and front inwardly 50 turned flanges 38, (Fig. 3), are supported alongthe side walls of the casing and have their ends disposed in the corners joining the wall section These strips 36 conversely through'thesleeve and wire.

lapsible or extensible and sectional file carrier or tray 39 that is slidable in the casing upon the bottom plate 28.

It will be observed from Fig. 2 that the bottom plate 28 and rear wall 36 together with a bottom support 59, constitutes a continuous sheet of material which is bent or folded into the form shown.

The filingtray .39 is composed of a plurality of telescoping tray sections 5|, 52 and 53 which areprovided with inwardly turned telescoping angular guide flanges 55, 56 and 51, respectively. The rear end of the section 5| has a flange 58 joining the ends of the flanges 55. A pair of slots 59l extending a greater portion of the lengths of the. flanges 55 slidably receive a pair of pins 60 that are rigidly secured adjacent the rear end of the section 52 on opposite sides thereof to prevent the sections from being disassembled or separated in the direction of their telescoping movement. Likewise the flanges 51 and 56 are provided with similar slots 62 and pins 63, respectively, to prevent their separation. the slots 59 and 62 both sections 52 and,53 can be telescopedintothe section Si or withdrawn or extended to the position shownin Fig. 6.

The outer end :of the section 53 has a plurality of integral hinge barrels 65 and 6B which'cooperate with similarhinge barrels B'l rigidly secured to a closure 68 for the front of the file casing. A rodor wire 69 extends through the barrels to provide hinging relation between the section 53 and the closure. One end of the wire 69 has an angular projection or hook it! extending therefrom and engaging in aslot in hinge barrel 6'! as shown in Fig. 3,-while asleeve I2 is mounted upon an intermediate portion of the wire between the hinge barrels 65 "and 65 'with a pin extending trans- One end of the sleeve has a V-shaped projection 13 thereon :which normally fits into a V-shaped notch 15 in the end of '"the adjacent hinge barrel 65. The other end of the sleeve is secured to one end of a coil-"springlfi' normally under compression which surroundsthe wire and-has its other end abutting :rthe hinge barrel 66. When the closure is in its upright or closed position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the V-shaped projection and notchinterengage under the influence of the spring and thus yieldably maintain the closure in this position. How even-the closure maybe pivoted upon-the hinge wire 59 to the position shown in Fig. 1 where the v-shaped projection is cammed out of notch 15 and where it will'be held until it is desired to move the'closure'to theupright position to close the casing. I

In movement. of the closure from upright positionto horizontal position sleeve 12 and wire 69 are moved to the right as shown in Fig. 3, end 10 sliding -in the --slot in hinge barrel 6'! but held against rotation relative to hinge barrel 61, prooperate sleeve lilto project projection 13 to engage in -notch'15. The movement of sleeve 12 is against the tension of spring '76 and the projection and notch havebeveledcamming surfaces for cammingprojection 13 out 'of notch l5.'- Of course,

"another notch similar to notch I5 may be provided in hinge barrel 65 at right angles to notch for.

receiving projection 13 so closure 68 may be eflectively held in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.4.

75H It-will"be observed that the barrels 61 are Thus, within the limits of.

spaced slightly from the lower edge of the closure and that stop flanges 'l! are provided to extend along the inner edge of the closure for impinging upon the bottom of the section 53. When the closure is in open position as shown by the broken lines of Fig. 4, it constitutes a horizontal support or shelf extending parallel to, or in the same general direction as, the section 53. The closure is composed of double Walls 18 and the stop flanges Tl continue beyond the lateral edges thereof. In order to facilitate the extension of the sectional tray, a handle i9 is mounted upon the closure for manual manipulation.

Referring to Fig. 5 and Fig. 8, a group of record member or card holders 89 is supported in the tray 39 and these; holders are provided at their lower edges with transverse rods 82 the ends of which are adapted to be guided slidably in the guide flanges 55, 56 and 57. Front and rear gauging rods 83 and 35, (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) are similar to the other rods with the exception that they are longer and their ends are positively and pivotally mounted by extending through openings 86 and 81 adjacent the front and rear ends of the sectional tray 39; The ends of the rod are guided by the flanged guiding strip 36, (Fig. 5), from the rear to the front of the casing. However, the front rod 83 need not extend beyond the outer surface of the flanges 51. Forward movement of the rod 85, together with the section 5|,"

is arrested by the stops 38, (Fig. 3), at the front end of the strips 36.

Each record member holder detachably supports a card or record member 88 which is provided with openings 89 having slots 99 communicating therewith and directed toward each other for receiving the heads of rivets 92. These cards 88 are bent along their intermediate portions until the larger openings 89 register with the rivet heads 92 and then by releasing them the slotted portions 99 snugly engage about the rivets. Slots 93 adjacent the inner corners of the cards are provided for receiving record bearing members, cards or information slips which are adapted to be attached therein, and strips 95 are folded over and secured about the outer edges of the cards to provide pockets in which index data may be applied Each rod 82, 83 and 85 is provided with hinges 96 having slotted extensions 97 for receiving therethrough suitable hooks or loops 98 secured to the several record members. Thus the entire group of record members are secured together adjacent the respective rods. As best shown by Figs. 2, 8,9 and 10 the record members in their upright position are disposed relatively close together when the sections'5l, 52 and 53 are collapsed or telescoped. However, when the sections are drawn outwardly by the handle 79, the rods 83 and 85- begin to spread or separate andthe outer or upper edges of the marginal strips 95 are then arranged in visible offset overlapping relation. This extended position of the cards and card holders is shown clearly in Fig. v1. The members are automatically returned to their upright position when the sections are collapsed or telescoped to the position shown in Fig. 2.

In the form of the invention shown by Figs. 11

and 12 the sectional tray 39 is employed for receivinga sheet ,of material I00 having transverse ing information slips or record cards are secured to rearwardly inclined portions 585 of the plaits. Opposite ends of the sheet of material are positively secured, as indicated at wt, to the front and rear ends of the sections 53 and 5!, respectively. These plaits are extended when the sections are extended and the record members are automatically extended into substantially horizontal visible offset overlapping relation illustrated in the front portion of the illustration of Fig. 11. Likewise, they are automatically returned to their upright position when the tray is collapsed. During these operations, outer marginal portions EB? or the sheet-material which project beyond the lateral edges of the record members Hi3 are guided in the guide flanges 55, 56 and 5?.

Referring to Figs. 13 and 14 the sectional tray 39, togetherwith the plaited sheet-material, is employed but the marginal portions 1H3? shown iniFig. 11, are omitted and a plurality of wires 28 are'employed that are ofiset, as indicated at i051 and extend through plaited portions I02 of the sheet-material. Thus the outer end portions of the wires are disposed underneath the sheetmaterial between the angular plaited portions thereof. Hence the rod ends and corners of the plaited portions ride upon the bottom of the tray 38 and the end portions of the Wires are also guided in the guide flanges 55, 56 and 5?. In this construction the opposite ends of the sheetmaterial are secured to opposite ends of the tray 39 in the same manner as the sheet use shown in Fig. 12.

Although only the preferred forms of the invention have been shown and described in detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

. l. A filing device comprising an extensible carrier, a plurality of record members, and means having cooperating connections with the carrier and record members and operable in the extenslon of the carrier for moving the record members into visible offset overlapping relation substantially, parallel to the carrier from a substantially vertical position perpendicular to the carrier.

2. A filing device comprising an extensible carrier, a series of record members normally disposed in an upright position upon the carrier, and means having cooperating connections with the extensible carrier and record members for tilting the record members into visible oilset overlapping relation when the carrier is extended.

3. A filing device comprising an extensible carrier, a plurality of record members disposed in an upright position upon the carrier, means having a part detachably and interchangeably con necting each of said record members to the carrier, and means on said parts having cooperating connections for moving the record members from said upright position into visible offset overlapping relation when the carrier is extended.

4. A filing device comprising a support having guideways thereon, an extensible carrier mounted for movement between the guideways, a series of record members normally disposed in an upright position upon the carrier, means having cooperating connections with the carrier and record members for tilting the record members into visible oifset overlapping relation when the portion of the carrier and independently movable to a position in substantial alignment with the carrier for supporting adjacent tilted record members.

5. A filing device comprising a support having taining the carrier in a substantially horizontal position as it is drawn outwardly between the guideways.

5. A filing device comprising a casing having guideways therein, an extensible carrier mounted for movement between the guideways, a series of recordmembers normally disposed in upright position upon the carrier, said record members having means for extensibly connecting them-together with their upper edges free, said series of record members having at its ends positive connections to the carrier, and means for guiding the record members intermediate the spaced'positive connections in a predetermined path in the extensible carrier, said connecting means and positive connections cooperating to tilt the record members in extended relation when the carrier is extended.

7. A filing device comprising an extensible tray, a series of collapsiblyconnected record members mounted in the tray, the end portions of said series of record members having positive connections to the tray, record members between the positive connections being slidably mounted in thetray, and means for 'moving the record' members to vertical position when the tray is contracted andto horizontal position when the tray is extended.

8. A filing device comprising a series of tray sections telescopingly connected for extension and collapsing action, said sections having guideways along their edges, a series of record members carrier'is extended, and means upon the edge having projections extending laterally from their lower portions, end portions of the series of rectended position in visible overlapped relation when the sections are extended.

9. A filing device comprising a series of tray sections telescopingly connected for extension and collapsing action said sections having guideways along their edges, a series of record members havin projections extending laterally from their lower portions, end portions of the series of record members having their projections pivotally anchored to the opposite end portions of the' series of sections, and said intermediate projections being guided :for 'movement in the guideways, looselyconnected hinging members connecting: the series of record members to each othensaid hinging members each extending from the lower extremity of one record member to a portion spaced from the lower extremity of the next adjacent record member, said record members being automatically movable to tilted and extended position in visible ofiset overlapped relation when the sections are extended, and means for-mounting the sections for movement in a supported horizontal position.

10. A filing device comprising a series of tray sections telescopingly connected for extension "and collapsing action, said sections having guide- Ways along their edges, a series of record members havingproj ections extending laterally from their lower portions, end portions of the series of record members having their projections pivotally anchored to the opposite end portions of the series of sections, intermediate projections being guided for movement in the guideways, and loosely connected hinging members connecting the series of record members to each other, each hinging member extending from the lower extremity of one record member to a portion spaced from the lower extremity of the next adjacent record member, said record members being automatically movable to tilted or extended position in visible ofiset overlapped relation when the sections are extended, means for mounting the sections for movement in a supported horizontal position, a pivoted extension at one end portion of the series of sections and means for supporting the extension in alignment with the sections to receive free edges of the end record members when they are tilted.

.l1..Affiling device comprising a sectional tray, guiding means along the edges of the tray, plaited sheet material mounted in'the tray having'opposite end portions anchored to opposite end portions of the sectional tray, the edges of the sheet of material having guiding relation with the guiding means of the-tray, anda series of record members mounted upon corresponding sides of the plaited portions of the sheet material whereby extension of the tray extends the sheet and tilts the record members into visible offset overlappedrelation.

12. A filing device vcomprising'a sectional tray, and guiding means along the edges of the tray, a sheet of plaitedmaterial mounted in the tray and-having opposite end portions anchored to opposite end portions of thesectional tray, .a; series ofrecord members mounted upon corre sponding sides of the plaited portions of the sheet of material, anelongate'member extending along the-lower portion of each record member and along a sheet material, said elongate members having their opposite end portions extending beyond the 'record members and guided in saidguiding means when the sectional tray is' extended or collapsed.

13. In a visible card system, means for storing the cards in closely packed vertical position and for exhibiting said cards in substantially separated horizontal position, said means compris-. ing aseries of card securing means and an expanding chain means linking said card securing means together, a telescopic guide channel,

supporting said card securing means and receiving said expanding chain'means therein.

14. A visible card index comprising a support having opposed guide channels, record members, means for supporting said recordmembers having portions slidably engaging in said guide channels, portions engaged by said record members, and parts on-each-record member supporting portion for cooperation with complementary parts on ad-.

jacent record member supporting portions operable when said record member supporting portions are moved apart to positively move each record member and its engaging portion from an upright to a horizontal offset position and operable to positively move said record members from said horizontal to an upright position when said supporting portions are moved toward each other intov a compact relation.

15. A visible card index comprising a series of record members disposed in upright closely' indexed relation when said parts are moved away from each other, and for returning said record members to the stored position when saidparts are moved toward each other.

BENJAMIN G. RAND. 

